A mistake that can be rectified, part 3

The administration’s absurd mistake in treating Umar Abdulmutallab as a criminal defendant can be rectified. In order to do it, the administration has to give up its “the dove that dare not speak its name” to national security issues. It can and must treat enemy combatants as such rather than as citizens entitled to the constitutional protections of Americans.
The Obama administration’s policy is indefensible. But it has not been required to defend it. It has simply served up Eric Holder to render his judgment in specific cases. The rationale supporting his judgment has yet to be articulated. It is what passes for the higher wisdom in the Obama administration, but they are awfully bashful about straightforwardly proclaiming its substance.
The administration’s mistake in treating KSM and Abdulmutallab is of a piece. But it is not cast in stone. GOP congressmen should explain the error to the public and demand accountability from the administration. The error should be corrected. Let’s not lose sight of this point. Andrew McCarthy elaborates in “Still time to get it right,” which is a better way of saying that the administration has made a mistake that can be rectified..